Research

Our primary interest is to better understand the co-evolution of the biosphere and geosphere. In practice, we study bacteria in the field and in the lab - through enrichment culturing, physiology studies, and molecular methods. We also study current and ancient geological phenomena that may have been mediated by microbial life. By combining these different approaches, we seek to understand those phenomena that occur at the interface between biology and geology - whether in the modern biosphere or in deep time. Some of our active research projects and areas of interest include:

Investigating the geomicrobiology of colorless sulfur bacteria and understanding their role in phosphorite formation, barite formation, and carbonate dissolution

Chemolithotrophic microbial communities and their preservation in the rock record